Slipway restoration to link Ironbridge coracle shed and river

A brick slipway linking the last coracle shed in England with the River Severn will be restored so more of the circular boats can be launched from it.

The slipway was found buried under 1.5m (5ft) of silt after it was spotted in an archive photo, the Ironbridge Coracle Trust said.

Work to restore it should take about a fortnight, said the trust's Marion Blockley.

"It finally links the coracle shed to the river," she explained.

"It's that missing link. This is fantastic, it means more people can come up here."

The shed, which the trust claims is the last in England, was restored in 2015 after it was neglected following the death of coracle maker Eustace Rogers in 2003.

Regular coracle drifts or paddles, including the annual Ironbridge Coracle Regatta, are held by the trust thanks to access to the water granted by Ironbridge Rowing Club.

But restoring the slipway will allow an expanded programme of coracle paddling over future summer months, Ms Blockley said.

"This will mean we can do more of these drifts and we can bring more people in and out of the river safely," she said.

The flat-bottomed boats are built by weaving strips of wood into an oval-shaped frame.

They have been used across Europe for thousands of years, particularly in the region of Wales and the Welsh borders, the trust said.

Funding has come from the People's Postcode Lottery and bricklayers are due to begin work this week to replace damaged bricks.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk